Sun Wah BBQ Reviews

Just read in the paper that the restaurant would be receiving the coveted James beard award. Kudos to them. We were last here in early January and the duck is nothing short of amazing. But the staff just doesn't seem to care. No one smiles and service is rushed but poor. You must constantly ask them for water re-fills or more drinks. The food comes out one dish at a time which I understand for the duck entree because after they slice the duck the cooks then make the soup and rice from it. But ducks are small folks and this one melts in your mouth. One duck is not enough for 4 people if you like to eat. The other food is also excellent but it comes out hap hazard and you can never enjoy all the food at once since you have to eat it when you get it or it becomes cold. I will continue to come back for the amazing duck (pork ribs are excellent too) but I hope that owners will take note of service and food timing issues.

A wonderful dining experience with fantastic Asian food and helpful staff. Don't be afraid to go off menu and order the roast duck - a whole duck, pancakes, noodles and soup between three of us was only $30-40. Fantastic value.

recent visit to Sun Wah was poor experience! want a quick lunch, realized they were good and quick at last visit, although it was take out order. decided to go there for a good meal. Walked in and tell waitress for a table of 1 person, she pointed and I walked toward that direction, the place has few guests only, plenty of open table to sit. I picked one and just about to sit down, she came over and said, seat over there, pointed again. I said, that's too much sun on that one side of the table. she did not care and just place the menu there, so I pick a chair on that table which has no sun but faced the inside of the restaurant. Ordered BBQ combo rice dish. When the food arrived, she placed on that same side of table but at another chair area. I had to reach over and took the plate to place in front of me. The order is right, but the tastes of the BBQ was salty and very dry meat. there were plenty of rice and vegetable. Did not finish it all and was waiting for the bill. It came quick, as waitress was watching and there were no other guests there to work for. I paid cash with slightly over 20% tip with cash for a $10 bill. Not very friendly, cheerful, and respectful waitress and poor services. Questioned to return again, maybe just for take out. Food was good.

This place has more than earned its reputation. The duck dinner is a truly great experience. It's cooked perfectly, the presentation and carving is done table-side and each bite is a great blend of crunchy skin with juicy duck.

Wanted to try something other than turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. This was a great choice, not only for turkey replacement and for dinner. Duck was prepared and used for the main part of dinner. Duck was great, soup and rice excellent. Service was great. We will be going back.

We used to go here at least once a year as I really liked their Peking Duck preparation but the last couple of times were a real disaster. We were celebrating a special occasion and had a reservation for an early dinner. The restaurant was half empty but we were made to sit next to the busboy counter which smelled of food waste. We requested to be relocated to another table and the maître d' was not happy about it. She said that the only table we could relocate to was in the middle of the restaurant, on a long table between two other families. I asked if we could move to the tables on along the wall that were empty but she flatly refused because she said we had to sit within the area assigned to a particular waiter! She refused to budge. So we were made to sit on an already crowded table just so that the waiter could have a full quota of customers. The drinks were totally watered down and the Peking Duck was Ok. Anyways, I had lost my appetite after this terrible customer service experience.

Celebratory dinner of crispy duck dinner, baby bok choi, and eggplant with garlic. We had a family reunion in Chicago and enjoyed each other and eating well. The duck dinner was wonderful. We took the duck fried rice home and had it for dinner the next day. The soup was good but by the time the soup came at the end, we were stuffed. The restaurant was a bit noisy but we didn't mind. Pricey but so worth it for celebration!

One of the best meals accross diverse cuisines available anywhere.. fabulous roasted duck is delicious and most incredible.. excellent service and friendly environment.. super way to celebrate July 4

A lot of reviews show up about Sun Wah's Peking Duck. Some pan the duck and others laud it. I fall into the camp of it being one of the best in the Chicago area. With the addition of the soup and rice made from the duck, it is a meal worth treating family and friends. Their other dishes are very good, including the crispy and BBQ pork. Don't forget to make an advance reservation.

We went to this restaurant while visiting our son for his birthday. while I have never been there before, he had & warned us about the service. We ordered the Peking duck which I have to say was delicious - it came with duck soup, fried rice & steamed biscuits to make sandwiches from. The table side carving was fun to watch making this a unique Asian restaurant. When we were finished we sat there for close to an hour waiting to get the check and pay - this was totally unacceptable !!! Needless to say even though the food was exceptionally good the service spoiled it for returning in the future!

We were aq group of ten from India visiting Chicago. We had booked Chinese for a change....and were we vegetarians apprehensive. But, surprisingly they served some very good vegetarian dishes- No Meat/Egg/Fish/Shrimp. And our non-vegetarian berthen enjoyed their Peking Duck, fishes etc. Overall a very good dining experience. Ambience was lively on a saturday evening.

3 of us enjoyed such a great Peking duck meal there - so much food: Duck made into soup, fried rice & sliced table side to eat! We also got Singapore noodles which were really very decent there with enough curry flavor & lots of good stuff like BBQ pork, shrimp etc. so much food we had lefotovers! I ordered food to take home too: Squid - tender, perfect & came with a great soy based spicy sauce Mixed Duck parts - very interesting: feet, wings & tongue...

Place is good. Food is very good, but the thing that you should try if you go there is the pecking duck (I think the best pecking duck I've ever eaten in Chicago!). Staff friendly. I like it!!

I was torn between three stars and four. Sun Wah is a bit like a warehouse -- a very large open space with very little décor. My son has been there often, and he tells me there are a number of very good dishes and some not so great -- and that the quality varies somewhat from time to time. On this occasion, we had egg rolls that were better than most; really excellent lo mein; pretty good but not great spare ribs; and a below average dish of eggplant with garlic sauce. The service was fairly slow, especially considering that the place wasn't busy. I was especially surprised by how long it took for the egg rolls to arrive, since they are almost instantaneous in many places. That said, it wasn't so slow as to be really bothersome. I would go back.

We just came back and we liked the place. After last nights meal anything would be better and I was hungry for some meat and a good meal, I got it. Had the roast duck and crispy pork combo. Pork could have been crispier but it was good and tasty. The duck, GREAT, soft, juicy, tasty, all n a big bed of rice. My wife and I shared a dish of egg noodles and mixed seafood. Not bad but not great, we've had better, not a lot of taste to it, a bit bland and could've had a little more seafood. We also had a fried snapper, good but a bit on the small side. Fried well and tasty. We declined to use the sauce that came with it on the side and ate it the way it was. Overall it was satisfying and filling, worth it and the prices are pretty good considering this is Chicago.

Like I said in my review of Ba Le Sandwich shop & Bakery, my trip to Chitown won't be complete till I visit it and this place, Sun-Wah Bar-B-Q! The best thing in their little kitchen is Peiking Duck, Char-siu, Roasted pig, of and everything else! I normally stop by on Sunday morning when they just hung up their freshly roasted ducks, char-siu, and a whole roasted pig! The prices are relatively inexpensive for all of their items. Either dine-in or take-out, the cooks always do a great job! It should be on the Top Ten Places to eat in Chicago!

The service was good though. But the food is just average. They are known for Peking duck but we did not order it.

Excellent food and service atmosphere make enjoying the food. Menu has a broad selection of items that are prepared and served.

We met a former classmate and her husband here for lunch in old China town. We cannot day enough about the food. We had the BBQ Beijing Duck with steamed Gao Bao, fried rice, noodles, soup and their house hoisin sauce. Wow. It was a lot of food and every bite was delicious. Would definitely recommend the food here.

You have to pre-order the duck and it is well worth it! I have NEVER been to a restaurant that not only gives you the sliced duck and buns, but they prepare a wonderfully delicious broth with the carcass and a plate of fried rice with the left over bits from the carcass. They beautifully slice the duck in front of you....such an art.

We didn't actually eat in the restaurant as we had already had lunch. So we got the Peking duck to go. Actually half a duck there was more than enough for 2 and it was only $10.50 and tasted amazing.

Our second time in Chicago within 6 months and on my first review of this locally well known spot I ended the review saying it was our last meal in town before departing and that it would most probably be our first on the return. Well we got into Chicago on a Thursday evening which just so happens to be the only day of the week that Sun Wah closes. But as promised when we left our hotel to depart the city the next day,we were in town for only one night this time,we made sure to stop by Sun Wah for lunch. Of course we once again ordered the Peking duck for two,and we so enjoyed it once more, devouring every little morsel with a gustatory enthusiasm that one would reserve for only the most special delicacies! This is my favorite place for duck this side of the Mississippi and east of San Francisco bar none! Of course we also enjoyed the accompanying duck fried rice and duck soup. Service was fast, efficient and friendly. If you like duck and find yourself in Chicago do yourself the favor and order the duck at Sun Wah Bar-B-Q....you won't regret it,just don't go on a Thursday because they'll be closed!

I have had the duck at Sun Wah 3+ times and it never disappoints. The last time was a few weeks ago and that duck is some of the best food to ever pass my lips. I have also had some of the other dishes and they are good, but when speaking of the duck, in the words of the Purple One--"Nothing Compares 2 U".

We'll run large establishment that specialises in superb duck. The whole duck is sliced at your table ( a beautiful performance in itself). A whole duck, cooked to non greasy perfection, duck fried rice, the pancakes and the soup. No duck wastage. Of course many other delightful menu items with excellent choices of dumpling soups.Very reasonably priced. Definitely worth a visit.

We were told this is the place for Beijing Duck. Ordered the duck menu when reservations were made. Perfection. Duck is carved at your table. Watching his swirling knife and blazing cuts was amazing. Steamed bao and pickled veggies are served with the duck. Duck was tasty and perfectly cooked. Forget healthy eating and enjoy the tasty crisp skin. Duck broth soup and duck fried rice are built from the remaining carcass. Added an order of crispy pork too. Understand dinners are packed. we did lunch and it was a smaller crowd. When back in Chicago, this would be a visited again.

Ever notice how serious eateries which focus on one thing and do it in volume always have the same atmosphere - Very utilitarian, very efficient, well priced. This is true from the Lobster Pounds in Maine, to BBQ joints in Texas. Single-minded perfection. This is true when it comes to this place and Peking Duck. In most Chinese restaurants, Peking Duck is something you order 24 hours in advance and is an expensive delicacy. What this place has figured out is how to make it routine and affordable. They do such a volume that they can deliver the very best and you will still think it's great deal. The atmosphere is intense - tables are like an assembly line. The duck servers slice the duck on the plate in front of you with an unimaginable speed. No part of the duck goes to waste. Everything is cooked in some fashion. Soup, skin, etc. This is not a romantic, elegant place. This is for your family and close friends. It's an amazing eating experience.

We were going to another place but the parking was non existent. ended up going here, been before and it's always good. Had the roast duck and the crispy pork, my faves, just like in Asia. Wife had the ginger sole, which surprisingly the portion size was really good. All dishes were good, had a Chinese broccoli stir fry too. Was not a fan of the sauce they put over the duck, but I should've asked for none. This is a typical Chinese place, noisy, raucous, and chaotic. Perfect for a Chinese place. Wait staff are not all that great but again, this is a pretty authentic place.

The duck bbq was awesome. You can get the whole duck as a set menu, with bao (steamed bread), fried rice and soup. I cannot complain. The menu has a lot in it and they are good too.

High hopes. Newspaper clippings at the front entrance, and great reviews only. It's a good value for a group of people (or even for two) and if you're in the area, there might not be a better place to go for Peking-style duck. The restaurant has some sort of antiquated front-of-house system where huge sections of tables are completely empty ("reserved") while there is a big line at the front door. Get there before 6pm if you don't have reservations. Not exactly a big negative, if that's how they want to run their business, fine, but it does seem silly and is probably a warning flag that they aren't organized and/or their kitchen wouldn't be able to handle a fully booked house anyway. Our waitress was very friendly and when we ordered the duck she advised us to get two servings of the pancake wrappings for our party (4 people), which was a nice tip. We also ordered eggplant w/garlic, Ma Po Tofu, and a chinese vegetable (Ong Choy) for a family dinner. The duck came out very quickly and it looked beautiful. In traditional style, it was brought out whole to the table on a cart, to be carved table-side. It had a wonderful crispy skin, nicely browned and flavorful texture and the meat was succulent and very nicely cooked. Then, the guy who brought out the duck proceeded to massacre the thing. What should have been neatly scalloped slices of meat crispy skin were butchered into thin shreds. The rest of the meal came out piled on top of itself. Dishes were crammed onto our small table by the servers who seemed to think that by pushing the plates forward, space would magically appear for them. We made space, if only to avoid having cups, dishes and sauces pushed onto our laps. By the time the last dish came out, we resorted to removing the condiments and some empty plates onto the neighboring tables for lack of space. Behind me, I heard a dish fall and crash to the floor as the same comedy was repeated at another table whose patrons weren't so dexterous. Several of the servers seemed to be "spacing out" with their eyes pointed upwards and almost bumping into tables or other people. That's when I noticed the index cards stapled above the tables, with numbers on them. Either the card system was new, or the servers were new, or the front-house system was.... ok well there really aren't any excuses, the front-house is so disorganized it's stupefying that they make money. Back to the food, which for the most part, was good. The garlic eggplant was quite good, hot, soft and full of flavor. The Ma Po Tofu was also good, with a nice heat coming from a rich brown sauce. The vegetables were also very nicely cooked. The final accompaniments to the duck were a huge disappointment, however. In traditional fashion, duck soup was served. The soup is supposed to be made from a rich duck consomme. What we got was some hot flavorless duck water with a few token pieces of Asian melon and tofu. There was also a duck-fried-rice, which was lukewarm with rubbery duck pieces... as if it was fried rice from last week, tossed in the microwave and served as an afterthought. All in all, if you can work around their crazy serving system and get their early or with a reservation, you'll avoid the line that starts forming at 6ish. It's a value oriented meal, not a white tablecloth place, so expect the servers to bus you food and for you to do the rest. OK I'm being kind, the service sucked, terribly sucked. The duck is good and the chef's talent is there, oh except for the dishes that they apparently don't put any care towards. Overall the experience is barely a whisper of the Peking-style Duck you would get in NYC, Hong Kong, Shanghai, or Beijing.

This is a very casual neighborhood restaurant specializing in Peking Duck. You call ahead to let them know you want a duck and the time you will arrive. Minutes after you are seated, the waiter brings a whole Peking duck and carves it at your table. You also get six bao and condiments. Then he takes the carcass away and shortly brings you duck soup with melon and fried rice made from your carcass. The food is very good. Many Asian people frequent this place. Alcohol is available and I've never had a problem with street parking. Service is good - what you would expect from a casual place. The duck dinner would be enough for four adults, especially if you ordered a few more bao. On our last visit, we tried the egg rolls but they were not outstanding. I think the main event here is the duck and I would order that. I rated it four stars because it is not a fine dining place but the food is five stars.

We had 12 in our party and were seated on time for our reservation even though the restaurant was packed. We had the Peking duck as always and never disappointed. It was delicious. Service was quick and friendly and we all had a great time. There’s a high energy here when the place is full and it usually is full. We love it!

We went here on Sunday at about 5pm for an early dinner as a group of 12 people. This isn't the first time we are at this restaurant and we come specifically for Peking Duck. At $40 per dish (which isn't on the menu btw) this is a great entry to share and for 12 people you need two. They bring roasted ducks table side, carve and slice meat for you, make soup and fried rice from remaining bones and serve it with sliced vegetables and rice breads and sauce. We usually also order baby bok choi as a side. For appetizers I recommend chicken pot stickers and butterfly shrimp (shrimp with bacon on top!). Overall very yummy! This isn't a fine dinning spot, so please set your expectations accordingly. I would definitely come here again for the duck.

We visited this restaurant during my husband conference. It is the 2018 Chicago James beard American classic award winner restaurant. Their Peking duck is famous but you need to preorder it at least a day ahead. From one duck you will try duck soup, duck fried rice and Peking duck. It is easy to get to the restaurant by redline subway from downtown.

Reserve a table and order the off menu duck feast! Plenty of amazing family style options at this restaurant and looking at the tables around us I got very food envy but for sure the Peking duck was the best! Good bar options and they seem to do a great job with large parties.

Being of Asian descent, I'm very picky about Asian restaurants, and I only came here because a friend wanted to (I probably would have never come here alone). It's a huge dining hall full of tables and, to my surprise, was pretty full on a Saturday night in January. We ordered the Peking Duck, egg rolls, and Hong Kong-style BBQ Pork. The duck was very delicious. We enjoyed the roast duck wrapped in steam buns, duck fried rice, and the duck soup. Although the authentic Peking Duck is not wrapped with steam buns but with thin crepes, I actually prefer the steam buns. The egg rolls and BBQ pork were not good. The egg rolls were massive and had the strangest stuffing - not typical of Chinese cuisine from any region. It's obviously American-Chinese food. I had higher hopes for the BBQ pork, but it had way too much fat and barely any meat. Stick to the duck!

This is one of the best places for Peking Duck in Chicago (the other being BBQ King in Chinatown). The duck is full of flavor, with crispy skin (some prefer it crisper). The duck dinner comes with duck fried rice and duck soup. I like the steamed buns served with the duck over the moo-shu style pancakes. I would guess that over 90% of the diners were eating the duck. Service is quick, efficient and no nonsense - your typical Asian restaurant. Atmosphere is bustling, noisy and energetic, nothing fancy. On weekends, reservations are a must (or wait for an hour or more), and you must reserve the duck when you make the reservation. The prices are amazing as well. The duck dinner is around $40.00 for the duck, rice and soup and when supplemented with a vegetable dish, will feed four adults with no problem. Our bill for the duck dinner, two extra dishes, wine and tip was a bit less than $80.00 for four adults. Skip the fancy places on the Mag Mile which charge double (or more) for Peking duck which won't taste as good. Sun Wah is the place to go.

The Pekking duck is phenomenal. Pricing is very reasonable. Service wasn't great but food more than made up for it. You must try.

there were 11 of us & we sat at a large round table with a huge lazy susan in the center. Our hosts ordered & the food just kept coming...spin the lazy susan & help yourself! Duck is carved table side & I tried it for the 1st time...quite good. Fun place to eat!

The peking duck is really top notch! I dined here with three others and we all had a feast for approximately $70 (inclusive of tax and tip). That included the duck and additional plates of vegetables. There isn't much for decor so if you're looking for a nice meal where you can take your time and enjoy the scenery, this is not your place! The staff does try to rush you out because you'll see a line of people waiting to swoop in for your table.

Went for the first time with some friends and was able to experience a few dishes. The famous Peking duck definitely live up to the hype rivaled that which I have had in Hong Kong and Macau. Also tried the black bean spare ribs and sole fish. Both dishes were excellent and by far better than most Chinese restaurants but the duck was by far the star of the evening. Highly recommend as my favorite Chinese place in Chicago.

Hong Kong style BBQ in a tremendously large restaurant in Uptown Chicago. Pan fried “octopus fingers” that are actually squid tentacles were delicious. BBQ pork on rice excellent but the chicken was dry and fatty. Beer was cold and good.

We took the advice of others and pre ordered the Peking Duck Feast. It was enough to feed 3 adults. We enjoyed the food as much as the experience. Had no problem getting there by using the CTA. If you’ve never been here you should give it a try.

We stopped here with some friends before a show at the Riviera. Before I get into details a little background on my perspective. I have been traveling China for close to 20 years and have eaten at the best places in more than 100 cities. My Wife is Chinese. I understand really good Chinese food. The Duck here is as close to good Peking Duck in China as I have had in the U.S. Please note this is more Hong Kong style than Peking but no doubt very delicious. The Duck Skin could have been a bit more crisp and less meat on the Skin pieces to be absolutely perfect. I also prefer the thinner Pancakes to the doughy Bread served here. Either way thisis good Duck on any continent. Service is even similar to China. That is bordeline horrible. If you need a drink refill or anything else expect some effort. Everyon in our group was happy with food. There is a reason they are bust. The food is very good.

Legit Peking Duck! The rest of the menu is good as well! The sweet and sour fish slice is delicious! Worth coming back!

First, their food was pretty good from a previous visit. This time we arrived at 10a.m. and the old lady said dine-in opens at 11a.m. But both their sign at the door and website posted 9a.m. opening time without specifying what . She said only the takeout opens at 9a.m. We were not happy about this misleading posting especially we had to drive an hour to get to there. We will never come back doesn't matter if the food was good or even free.

This is our go-to place when we have an adventurous group. While the Peking Duck is always delicious, many other dishes are noteworthy too. We love the greens (any kind as long as it's cooked with garlic), the fish fillets, the mapo tofu. When ordering the duck, you get a choice of duck fried rice or duck fried noodles--we prefer the noodles, but better yet, go with a large group, order 2 ducks, and get one of each. Yummy bread buns instead of pancakes--we usually get an extra order.

Stopped in for lunch for the Peking duck duck feast- A little on the pricey side but for $40 you do get a whole peking duck carved up tableside with delicious buns/garnishes/sauce, a duck fried rice, and a duck and wintermelon soup- all delicious and very well prepared. It is also enough food for 3 people to have a pretty decent and filling meal so all in all, it is a pretty good value. Service was reasonable. Atmosphere isn't amazing but most Chinese restaurants don't excel in this department- the room is spacious and reasonably clean so that's pretty much good enough.

I have been visiting this place since the mid-1990s. The barbecued items are great, especially the roast pork with crisp skin, the soy sauce chicken, and the Peking Duck dinner. I also like the pan fried egg noodles (crisp fried, with a garlicky grave poured over them) and the stewed fish and tofu. They're closed on Thursdays--remember that. And you probably need reservations on weekend lunches and dinners.

I keep giving this place another chance - the food is actually great and really affordable. But it seems like they are closed by the health department as often as I change batteries in my smoke detector...

I am OBSESSED with sun wah. I go whenever there is even a remotely special occasion. Birthday? Sun Wah. Graduation? Sun Wah. Threw a paper ball into the trash can? You got it, Sun Wah. I can not recommend this place enough. I love love love duck and I try it wherever it is available and so far Sun Wah is the gold standard. I have a feeling it always will be. The best restaurant in Uptown Chinatown. Can not recommend enough.

I've been fortunate to have dined on Chinese food all over the world and Sun Wah Bar-B-Q Restaurant is the closest one can get to Hong Kong cuisine without having to go their! It was an early Saturday morning and we were hungry. I knew Sun Wah would be open. We were able to acquire a metered parking spot a few steps away from their front door. We went in and sat ourselves down at a table. There were only four other people in the restaurant at that hour of the morning. Our wait person brought us menus, hot tea, and water with ice. We love their Peking Duck, but it was a bit too early for duck. We ordered Beef with Bitter Melon over Steamed Rice, Steamed Minced Pork with Salted Fish, and Fried Rice with Salted Fish. We spent close to $30.00 including tax. All tasted wonderful. Naturally there was enough food leftover for us to enjoy later at home.

We went with a group of 8 people- had the Peking Duck, BBQ Combo Platter, Dumplings, Fried Rice, Fried Wontons, Egg Rolls and more! (Duck was carved at the table, which was a cool experience) Everything was great- and came out as it was ready. Tons of food to feast on. The service was not good, but the food and company made up for it. It's great for groups, since they have a giant "lazy susan" for spinning the dishes around on the middle of the table! Note- it's BYOB for a corkage fee, but they have a full bar.

The BEST Peking Duck EVER. Also, good bbq. We had the BBQ and Roast pork. Also great. Place is very clean - the whole place. Parking was relatively easy - we snagged a spot almost in front.

My son had pre-ordered the duck for which this restaurant is famous. It was wonderful, served with the right sort of buns and not the mooshu pancakes that are often substituted elsewhere. The carver did a great job and it was shared by the four of us. The remainder of our order was not so great. My wife agrees with me to stick to the duck and pass on the noodle dishes. It's noisy but tolerable.

We went with a Chicago native who made reservations here. It was phenomenal. The duck is carved at your table, taken away and duck fried rice is served, then duck soup. Even my picky teen boys loved it. Make a reservation and order the Peking duck!!!!

Had the peking duck. It was excellent. Can't wait to go back. Everything was done in a reasonable time. Workers very warm & friendly.

I don't think the peking duck is as good as it used to be, more like a roast duck now. We ordered 2 peking duck dinners. The fried rice from the peking dinner was so so. The soup was good but only a few pieces of winter melon considering it was from 2 orders. The roast pork was all fat!! and the skin not crispy. The stirfried eggplant dish was the worst I've had. The service is bad as well, nobody came to check on us. I've had to hunt for chopsticks and napkins. I wouldn't be back any time soon.

If you love Peking Duck, this place is a do NOT miss. Lively and efficient. The duck is something to dream about and it's great for large groups. I have never gotten past the duck but others at the table said the extras they ordered were great, noodles, egg roll, shrimp. Cover your ears when someone's birthday is celebrated, all in good fun, a lively meal with great food. I start thinking about this place before I arrive in Chicago, it's sooooo good.

Sun Wah consistently has the best food and most dismissive waitperson combination ever. Gruffness aside, the food is pretty amazing. I tend to order the szechuan eggplant or wide rice noodles with veggies, tofu and sometimes shrimp, too. My home fry gets the duck which comes with like 4 duck things. My son lurvs their fried rice. The sauces used all taste like they're made from scratch and the portion size is enough for a giant. After the food comes, the table will seem very small, so try not to spill. It's also very close to the Green Mill, which is an entirely separate establishment but I'm mentioning them in this review anyway, because I can. I suggest you eat at Sun Wah and go to the Green Mill for a nightcap. I would if I were you.

We went there with another mild mannered couple who had been there several times before over the years, the server told us they charge $2.00 extra for 2 buns as they only provide 6 for an entire duck! We said yes. They served the duck and forgot to bring us the buns for several minutes as our duck was getting cold. Then the soup came after, just ok way too salty! Then the fried rice came. Slightly greasy.The duck was juicy and moist. They gave us such a small amount of shredded carrots and scallion not enough for the entire duck. They literally gave us 1/2 inch of carrots and scallions. We asked for more carrots, the server said we charge $1.00, we could not believe it, a dollar for 1/2 inch of shredded carrots! !!! Ridiculous! When you are charged $45.00 for an entire duck it is really tacky to have the audacity to charge for a basic condiment. The server said yes we are charging more now we are always packed. The service was terrible, slow and not attentive. Forgetting our order as we went along. To the owner: Don't be greedy charging for little petty things such as carrots ! Don't alienate many old customers just because you are always packed! Train your servers better, to be attentive and polite. You have raised your prices a lot over the past few years, incorporate those incidentals into the price ! I would not go back too many good restaurants in Chicago to get treated like cattle!

When we entered the restaurant waiting to be seated, three waitresses were talking to each other in the kitchen, we had to wait until chatting finished, that’s not professional. The food itself was excellent, the prices were reasonable, but the service can improve a little

I'm a Chicagoan and this is the best place, bar none, for Peking duck. I try to go here every year on my birthday. It's a fun. laid-back place where the Cheng family makes yo feel like part of their family.Instead of traditional crepes, Sun Wah serves bao-like fluffy buns to go with the succulant, seasoned duck. The Peking duck dinner is plenty for 4: comes with duck carved tableside, delicious duck soup (always makes me think of Groucho!), and duck fried rice. Helpful hints: order extra buns, try out the sauces on the table, and ask for fried noodles instead of fried rice.

Good food, fast service but staff were not very friendly. Good for small groups and large parties. Lots of vegetarian items on the menu. Clean. Street parking.

I've been coming here for decades and generally the fare has been solid, if not spectacular. The last two trips have been not just bad but downright rotten. It's unfortunate the proprietors would do this given their longevity in the community. As usual, grabbed something to go passing thru last year and again last month. Last year, the roast pork was smelling bad and on it's last leg, this time the beef brisket was downright inedible - it was rank. Moreover, the roast duck was dried out and clearly not fresh. I very rarely give bad reviews, especially to stand-alones. But dishing up spoiled food crosses the line and a repeat offense is a clear warning signal to me. I won't return and will spread the word as they might dish up fresh food if you eat in but if you're travelling far, they think they can get away with it. Not in today's day and age of social media you can't. Disappointing, to say the least.

Soup not so hot ,taste ordinary Roast duck though juicy isn’t satisfying The server didn’t understand fully our order We order one soup and it came two order. The roast duck is pricey compared to other restaurants

We went here for "Peking duck" Hong Kong style (that is, with puffy dumpling dough wraps), which is not called Peking Duck on the menu. The menu has two sides of a flip book, one side more Chinese dishes (one page of different kinds of congee), the other more American Cantonese offerings. Live lobsters in a tank. No desserts. Pretty big dining space, though they asked us if we had made a reservation when we arrived at 5 p.m. for an early supper. And indeed it filled up steadily. Mixed clientele, more than half were Chinese. No tablecloths sort of place. With a separate area where the take-out line forms. They took our duck bones and made a nice soup for the 4-yr. old. Service is perfunctory, but brought us everything we asked for--but you gotta ask. There is what looked like a full-service bar in the center of the room. The Chinese beer was Lucky Buddha. Plenty of pay-for-it parking along Broadway Ave.: $2 will buy you one hour only.

Such a fun place for a group or family. We regularly make the trip in from the burbs just for the Peking duck and the Char siu. Soups and chow fun are great as well. Very friendly family owned place

If you like duck, this is the place to go. Atmosphere is early warehouse, but service is prompt and the duck is outstanding. Other menu items are okay. Fun place, but very loud (it really feels like a warehouse), so best to come here if you really like duck.

We were here for the Peking Duck and we were not disappointed. Carved tableside and cooked to perfection. The other dishes were also very well prepared and very tasty. The staff was very friendly and looked after us very well. No complaints and I would certainly come back on my next visit to Chicago.

Big hall with great food. Call in advance to ask for the Peking duck; for 3-4 persons. You won't regret it

The place to go for Peking duck. Carved tableside, served with all the accoutrements. Easily serves three. Service is good. Call ahead and reserve your duck. Although they serve between 1000-1200 ducks a week, a reservation is a good idea on the weekends. During the week, not necessary.

We had a large wedding rehearsal dinner here and had a lovely time with really yummy food. The staff were very nice and accommodating. The meals are served family style on a giant lazy Susan in the middle of the table, Duck carved at the table side. We had Octopus Whiskers for an appetizer along with the usual egg rolls, and they were FANTASTIC. The Peking Duck was to die for!!! There were so many side dishes and the drinks were good too! Try the Chinese Red tea too. Will definitely return!

After looking at the menu for 5 minutes and not finding Peking Duck, I asked our bloke and that was that. Whole duck, $40.00 carved table-side and served in 3 courses: - Crispy skin, good texture - Unfortunately the Bao dumplings are very filling and this dish should be served with a thin flat pancake as in Hong Kong eateries. - Soup and Rice dishes very good and enough to bring home. - Good service and they were scrubbing all of the brick walls

I met up with friends right when they opened so it was not busy and we did not need reservations. We ordered the Peking Duck meal and it was very good. The server was not friendly and seemed bothered. The owner's daughter carved the duck and she was very friendly. Overall, we did enjoy our meal.

After we saw that Sun Wah won the James Beard America's Classics award, we went there for dinner. The service was practical and efficient - you have to know what you want because they really move the tables quickly. The duck feast was great. Came quickly, the duck was carved at the table - all delicious. We ordered a dish to go, and that was the only glitch. It took forever to be prepared. I guess if it's not duck it takes a while to be prepared. Definitely worth a repeat visit!

I have been lucky enough to experience Peking Duck in Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia, but never near my home around Chicago. In searching for Peking Duck in the Chicago area to satisfy a crave, every review pointed to Sun Wah. I would to have preferred not driving the 90 minutes to get downtown, but could not find anything in the closer suburbs that even listed Peking Duck. I cannot honestly talk about anything else on the menu since we drove there to just have the Peking Duck. The duck itself was good, but not great. Tasty but not throughout. My main issue is mostly how it was served. Although ordered the day before as required, we waited almost 40 minutes before seeing any food on our table. The dish comes with soup and duck/vegetable fried rice. But for some unknown reason neither of those are brought to the table until we were well into the duck. Why not give us the soup right away and serve the rice with the duck. I might have enjoyed the soup if it came earlier. But when it came it seemed so out of place and didn't meld well with where we were in the meal. The fried rice was good, but not great. Like the duck, it was a little over done. And the crepe/pancake served with the duck, again not at the same time, but soon after the duck, were just too thick for me to what I have had in the past. It just was too filling and didn't seem to compliment the duck but overwhelm it. I guess my search will continue.

We had duck (prepared 3 ways), soy chicken, roast pork and a couple of soup noodle dishes. All the BBQ was excellent. The soup noodles were average. Service was a bit slow. I think only 2 waitresses and a bunch of support staff.

Went there with my family to have their Peking Duck feast, for $50 for 4 people we had an amazing meal. The duck was fantastic, and the service was excellent, please stop by if you are ever visiting Chicago.

Daughter took me because of Peking duck. Entire duck makes dinner for two. Best ever. Highly recommend.

We came over to have dinner with friends. We picked this place based on the good reviews and because supposedly it's good for large groups. It's BYOB but they charge an outrageous cork fee of $10 per bottle. Even some upscale restaurants charge less than this. We ordered 2 Peking ducks (6 people), some noodles, fried rice, veggies and gyozas. The duck was tasty. I would give it **** or *****. Everything else was tasteless and uninteresting. Awful service.

Sun Wah is known for Peking Duck but they also do whole barbecue pigs and a lot of other things. The owner/manager is a cheery, sprightly spirit who wore a Santa hat on Christmas. She invited us to come back any other time - Christmas is their mash tent of triaged hyper activity. Nevermind the seeming chaos, our reservation was seated on time, the duck was deliciously juicy, the accompaniments were spot on, the place is clean and bright and the staff, though a bit frazzled, were happy and accommodating. But seriously, do try to go on a less busy day for a more leisurely meal. Corking fee for wine is $10 but they have a full bar as well. Our plan for our next visit is to eat-in one duck and take one home. You can also reserve with a pre-order of egg rolls or some other snack, which I recommend, as we were starving by 3 pm on Christmas Day. Still, one duck and the fried rice and soup was enough for four of us and we enjoyed it very, very much. We will be back! Also, depending on market price, one duck dinner runs about $10 per person. Can't beat that!

Went with a group of 11 for a 6PM dinner on 12/23. The restaurant was nearly empty when we got there (the room is HUGE). Despite that, it took 45 minutes to get our dinner. We were starving! We split three duck dinners (their specialty) and had a couple of other dishes that I didn't try. The duck comes sliced at the table, then served in fried rice or fried noodles, then in soup. The sliced duck is eaten on these pillowy buns and is delicious and non-fatty. The duck fried noodles were great too. The duck soup was pretty dull.

If you want the most mouthwatering duck you have ever had in your life you must try this restaurant. Carved tableside with bao buns, duck fried rice and duck soup this meal for 2 to 3 people cannot be beat. Highly recommended.

Reservation is recommended and you should order ahead for their Peking Duck Feast. The duck comes whole and is sliced right in front of you and served with 6 buns. The duck is good and tasty. The buns are good but we were disappointed when we saw them open packages of frozen store bought buns so they are not made at the restaurant. Next they bring you the duck soup and duck fried rice. We ordered Roast Pork but were disappointed at its presentation. The skin was not crispy, meat was dry and it was just cut up and put in a dish. If you never had a peking duck dinner, it is okay and above average but I have tasted better ducks.

All the food was excellent but my favorite was the Peking Duck. Service was very good and I cannot wait to go back again. Loved the fried rice, green vegetables, roast pork and steamed buns. Least favorite was the duck soup. Restaurant is BYO so very affordable night.

Came for the Peking Duck. It was very good. I'd rate Phoenix higher. Use more traditional buns instead of pancakes. Fried shrimp with shell still on. Interesting. Typical lousy Chinese restaurant service.

We had dinner here and ordered the Peking Duck. It was very well done. Crispy skin and well seasoned. The duck was carved table side and was served with soup and fried rice. We split a soft shell crab appetizer which was also delicious. The service staff was prompt and courteous and they brought a big pot of tea without us having to ask for it. That was a nice touch. Dinner was very reasonably priced and we will definitely be back for more.

the Beijing duck dinner was good, but wish it was more flavorful and juicy. It was a great price though! Enjoyed the authentic vibes of this place.

A bit old school but excellent BBQ We had the table side carved duck and one was enough for three of us. We added a side of BBQ pork and it was as tender as any I have ever had. It is off the regular path for a meal but an excellent meal great stop for foodies Total for the three if us was $62.00 excluding tip

We have been going to Sun Wah for several years. Each time, it has gotten worse. The place was never pretty but tonight it felt like it was filthy. The floors are so dirty and greasy that I always warn anyone we bring to walk carefully as you could easily fall. The menu's felt so disgusting that I actually washed my hands with Purell before I ate. There is one great waiter by the name of Moon but the others have trouble with English and are not very friendly. Tonight, we ordered egg roll, soup, and two entrees. The egg roll came first (and was not hot) and three minutes later, if that, the soup came. While the soup was sitting there both entrees were served. I think we were out of there in less than 30 minutes. The broth of the soup tasted like liver...have no idea what it is made with. The duck was hacked into about 8 little pieces, four of which were total bone and fatty skin. I felt sick on the way home, dinner was totally unrelaxing and not fun, and the food was vile.

Even though our reservations got mixed up we were seated during a very busy Saturday evening. The staff is very fast, personable but were too busy for much conversation. We ordered the Peking duck and soon the food was there, expertly carved and delicious. Followed by other courses related to the duck. All very tasty. Cost was super reasonable for the amount of food we received. Atmosphere is warehouse like but clean and efficient. Tables spaced apart very well for COVID. We would love to come back and try other entrees.

Excellent food. My husband had been craving egg rolls. We ordered our favorites. Well worth the trip. Food and drinks were excellent, as well as the service.

Came here for dinner while visiting our son who lives nearby. Had Peking Duck, fixed price of $40. I would have preferred the skin to be a little more crispy and peking wraps instead of the steamed dough buns. We asked the server to reheat the broth, as it was not hot enough for us, but it also sat on the table for a while because we were eating the duck first. We also ordered spring rolls, and the Chinese brocolli, which was very good. Service was quick. My husband speaks Cantonese; he had a nice chat with our server. Would like to return to try other menu items, although at all the tables near us, Peking Duck was the overall choice.

Have been here a couple times before- and the Peking Duck is really a standout. We were headed to a show at the Riv- and got here around 530. Not too crowded, service was quick. I always bring my own wine when dining here- a good Pinot is a terrific match for the duck. For $40 the duck is a steal- we ate well and had quite a bit of leftover. Oh and bring your own stems if you are having a nice bottle- the glasses they provide, not good.

I am an easygoing and always positive person and not too picky but tonight I spent the worth dinner in a Chinese restaurant. The Peking duck’s skin ($60) was not crispy but was the best dish we had. The fried shrimps was so oily I would have preferred to drink some olive oil, the fried rice was over cooked and without much taste, and the chicken mais soup was no good either. I feel sorry to leave such a bad comment, but I would have preferred reading such a comment before having chosen this place. Last point is the cleaning level of the restrooms… I normally judge a restaurant with the standard of its restrooms… well I should have visited the restrooms before ordering the dishes or just looked inside the restaurant from the outside and have a look into the kitchens…

Great Roast duck. Disappointing dish - Cantonese crispy noodles with shrimp - small and barely any in the dish. Asked for shrimp dumplings soup but they bought out shrimp and noodles. But willingly bought out the correct one and it was good flavor. Crispy Chinese vegetable.

Taking out service servers are rude and cheating. We came take out one and a half roasted ducks. They had only one darken and skinny roasted duck on display. We did not want to take that one. We asked them when do they would have new ones. They answered that in 20 to 25 minutes they would have new batch. We were in rush. We had no choice but buying that skinny duck. We walked out of the restaurant. But while we were still in front of the restaurant. They put up a new batch of roasted ducks. We came back in to the restaurant and asking for a half ducks. They took out a half left over duck which is small and skinny. My wife said that she wanted the half of a new duck. The said no and we HAD to get the old skinny duck. We left without ordering the half duck. We are the long time takeout customers. But we will never come back to this restaurant again.

Hong Kong style restaurant. Best Peking duck in Chicago. Other food is good but pPeking Duck @$45.00 is not on the menu. Ask for it when you make a reservation. Bar B Qued to perfection. crisp skin and moist meat., carved at table side. Boa buns instead of my shy pancakes along with julienned carrots and green onion make a hearty first course. Table ordered 2 ducks so they made a Duck fried rice and a duck lo mein dish. Also Duck bone broth with some veggies, was better the. Ext day after sitting in the refrigerator. I duck meal easily feeds 2, possibly 3 people. Decor is industrial woodwork and service superb. Knowledgeable, attentive and swift. Other interesting dishes you won't find at a typical American Chinese restaurant. Will return for sure!

If you're coming for a place that's pretty to look at and has impeccable service, this isn't it. However, if you're after all things duck), this is the place to go. My party enjoyed the usual roast duck with pancakes but also duck noodles and duck fried rice plus a number of other dishes. Everything we ate was amazing and our 3 ducks, two fried rices, duck noodles, two Singapore Noodles with beef, three dishes of vegetables and two soups broke down to $27 per person for our 15 person group.

I had heard that this place was one of the 10 best Chinese restaurants in Chicago. I had to find out. The food is very good. The restaurant is not dressed up like a palace of tourist museum. It is a large, comfortable dining place. There is an extensive menu and the food is authentic and good. I had duck soup with fish balls. It was good. It was medium priced and I might or might not go again. It was definitely worth a visit as the duck was very good.

My sister introduced me to this place. They have a Peking duck dinner, where they take a whole duck and create 3 dishes out of it: traditional Peking duck in the bun with scallions and sauce; fried rice; and soup. We ordered two of these, along with a couple of other side dishes. Loved it...so much delicious food! We ordered for pickup that day, but the place was packed and lively. Will definitely eat here again!

While I've gone often for the duck, the truth is there are excellent dishes throughout the menu . Eggplant is fantastic . The soups are uniformly great. The duck is the standout though. Pace your ordering or you're likely to get everything at once.

We went here for my nieces birthday. We were a group of 14. The duck special is the way to go! You get 1 bbq duck, duck fried rice, duck noodles and duck soup all for $40. It serves 4 people nicely. Now the duck special is not gluten free but I had some other options. I called ahead and talked to the chef. She told me to talk with Lilly when I came in and she would help me. Lilly was wonderful and showed me all the chicken and shrimp options. I went with the shrimp and vegetables. It was nicely cooked and very fresh. We had also asked if we could bring in a small bday cake and they said no problem. When we got ready to serve the cake they provided knife and small plastic plates and forks! How nice! Great place for big parties and a great value!

This was our third meal at Sun Wah BBQ Restaurant over the past one year. The first two meals were off hour lunches and the third and last meal a dinner during the busy Thanksgiving weekend. Overall, our lunches were prepared well and were a good value. We preferred the preparation of stir fried broad rice noodles with beef over their beef chow mein. The chow mein noodles were not thoroughly wok fried whereas the broad rice noodles were served hot and were more thoroughly cooked in a hot wok. Three different dishes of Chinese vegetables cooked in either garlic oil or with preserved bean curd were also well prepared. Our dinner meal was somewhat of a disappointment because the wait service seemed uncaring and rushed, perhaps because the restaurant was becoming busy. We ordered Peking Duck, and three different vegetable dishes, but included with the duck were a duck fried rice and duck soup. As a consequence of all of the dishes, the table became unmanageably crowded which made the meal cramped and uncomfortable. Peking Duck was cooked well but was carved, in my opinion, carelessly, compared to others we have had in several other restaurants over many years. All three vegetable dishes were also prepared well. The accompanying fried rice with the duck and the duck soup were very poorly prepared. The fried rice was served almost at room temperature and contained only rice and small bits of duck meat. It had no egg and only a very small number of green peas which tasted as if they were not even cooked. Because of the lack of the usual ingredients of fried rice, it did not look appetizing but, rather, dull and colorless. The fried rice had almost no duck flavor and tasted almost entirely like plain white rice. The duck soup was so thin and watery that it tasted more like a free house soup than one that should accompany the rich flavor of Peking Duck. Not only was the duck soup watery, and almost devoid of duck flavor, but it also contained very few Chinese melon pieces or tofu. At other restaurants known for their Peking Duck, the accompanying duck soup is usually rich in duck flavor and contains a lot of a Chinese vegetable and a lot of tofu. The duck soup version served here was probably the biggest disappointment, followed by the almost tasteless and almost cold duck fried rice. We ate very little of those two items and did not care to take those unfinished dishes home. The wait staff did not perform their duties in a polished or professional manner. When a food dish was brought to the table the dishes were not arranged with any care. The dishes seemed to only be placed in the most convenient place by the wait staff, and when the table became crowded with plates and dishes, they did not appear to care that it would be uncomfortable for us to eat at such a crowded table. Because they did nothing to condense the plates or move unused condiments elsewhere, we did this ourselves and went so far as to move unneeded condiments to neighboring vacant tables. I can recommend Sun Wah BBQ Restaurant for lunch but hesitate to recommend it for dinner because of the shortcomings mentioned of the wait staff. And while we enjoyed the Peking Duck very much, do not expect the accompanying duck fried rice and duck soup to measure up to its level.

Wan ton char siew soup noodles served in larger bowls, and costs more too. Been eating here everytime i visit chicago. Soup delicious as ever. Wonton larger but char siew was chewy and fatty. Ordered duck to take away. Definitely foodie stop for uptown Chicago

Ive never liked duck unless its Peking Duck. This is the only place where I ever eat duck and some places in Hongkong. Yes, everything they say about the duck here is true. Ive never tried any other dish here but if you like duck then run to this place. The prices are extremely reasonable as well.

The restaurant is very strict about timing, and you cannot be late. The employees did not care about customer experience and were very emotional, arguing with customers in a very rude manner. The argument was intense, and the whole restaurant was watching the group. The staff should improve their customer care and experience, and genuinely treat customers with respect.

Friends/coworkers want to get some BBQ dishes with Chinese favor on north side of Chicago, went to Argyle Street and found Sun Wah BBQ restaurant, had their week day lunch rice plates with any BBQ items to choose, we chose BBQ chicken, spare ribs, and BBQ pork/chai sha. Lots of rice on the plates with minimal green vegetables and a half egg. Tastes good as BBQ favors plates and great value for the charges, good price point. Serves average but friendly and efficient. Take out items same as dine in and the famous roast duck is best, BBQ chicken and other BBQ items were hanging on racks in their take out section/ BBQ corner. Typical Chinese/Hong Kong style way to displace food in BBQ restaurant. Good place for quick lunch with Chinese BBQ favor dishes with close friends or relatives or co workers, not a great dining place to invite friends for nice meal. But, one can take out any BBQ items for home eats will be perfect. Nice ethnic neighborhood restaurant located in north side "China town" on Argyle Street/ Broadway in Chicago

We ate here for dinner last weekend with a large group. The duck was carved tableside and it was delicious wrapped in the steamed buns with the provided sauce, carrots, scallions and pickled vegetables. You also get duck soup, duck fried rice and a duck noodle dish included. We were at a table with 6 adults and 4 kids (under the age of 10) and our table ordered a serving of their pork and 2 of their vegetable dishes and this was a perfect amount of food for less than $20 per person. Will definitely plan to return!

This restaurant is famous for its Peking Duck and deservedly so. Wow! A server brings a cart with a whole duck (sans head) to your table, carefully carves thin slices of meat, removes the wings, drumsticks, etc. and places them lovingly on a large platter. The juicy meat and impossibly crispy and tasty skin are served with puffy gua bao buns and a sweet sauce. In a few minutes, they bring a large tureen of soup made from the duck carcass and fried rice made with additional meat from the carcass. What a feast (serves 3-4). There were four of us and we ordered the Peking Duck with an extra order of snap peas (nice large order) and we had plenty of food. They also have a complete menu of Hong Kong style dishes but with the sublime Peking Duck available, why consider anything else? One important recommendation--make reservations. Even though the restaurant is quite large, it gets very busy. And for good reason--it is awesome!

Sun Wah BBQ is hardly pretentious, but, they more deliver on food, service and value. Rather than be preoccupied with appearance - the inner walls are brick-faced and the ceiling high, Sun Wah focuses on food and service. The specialties of the house are their Peking Duck and BBQ, particularly their BBQ Pork and spare-ribs {with honey}. There's a reasonable offering of Hong Kong style Lo Mein dishes, as well as pan fried noodle dishes; and assorted traditional staple entrees and/or appetizers. The Bejing/'Peking Duck Feast' is a complete meal for two {off menu and highly suggested to be ordered in advance - particularly if you're going to dine on a Friday or Saturday evening}. Unassuming and - yet, achieves a very high standard of quality, consistency and responsive service. Reservations are recommended for weekend nights and I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that parking can be limited [on-street] and that the nighborhood has been in... transition for decades; so, be aware that Sun Wah is located in Chicago's Uptown. Having shared this, I might also note that the Green Mill [one of the country's best jazz-joints] is a stone's throw away and makes for a perfect combination evening - dinner at Sun Wah, followed by Jazz at the Green Mill. Bon appetite.

We arrived at lunch time the restaurant was not too busy, the waitress served us ice water right away, the two dish we ordered were duck chicken pork with rice and dumplings soup, both were way too salty

The Beijing Duck skin was so crispy you could hear it crack in the video I made of the table side carving! Excellent all around-food, service, and atmosphere. It took me three years to finally eat at this establishment and it was well worth the wait! I will be back!

Our local friends suggested this spot which is off the beaten track in the Uptown neighborhood. Easily accessible by the L. They prepare the Peking Duck at the table and serve it in soup and fried rice in addition to sliced -- yum! Not very expensive for what you get.

This is a classic Hong Kong Barbecue House. A lot cheaper than a flight to Hong Kong. They go through about a thousand ducks a week. You do not need to reserve a duck 24 hours in advance. Big enough for large groups. The Salt & Pepper Shrimp or Clams with Black Bean Sauce are excellent, Barbecue Pork is consistently good. Try the Beef Lo Mein, sounds ordinary but it is great. Not oily at all. For greens try the Chinese Broccoli or the Bok Choy. Depends on if you want bitter or mild. This is my go to Chinese in Chicago. Just wish they deliver.

The restaurant is well known for its Peking Duck, I think all the other dishes are at least as good, the problem with Peking Duck...they don't serve any omelettes like other Chinese restaurants...but you should go up and down the whole menu and not just go there for the duck, ordinary dishes like sweet and sower pork, Chinese vegetables, soups, beef and broccoli, etc... they are all fresh and excellent...I like the restaurant for their sweet and sour fish, there is no other Chinese Restaurant in Chicago that serve it so perfectly..also a nice place for birthdays and big groups, they have large round tables and even a lot of food is served within minutes...

I had the Roast Duck and Shrimp and Dumpling Noodle Soup--ingredients that are supposed to be special at Sun Wah. The duck was undercooked; the "shrimp" dumplings were full of mystery meat; I was sick the next day. My partner has tried to forget what he ate. The service was OK.

Comfort food for real Chinese Cantonese and Hong Kong style food served. From Peiking Duck to soy sauce chicken and roasted pork, this is the real deal! Meals can be served in a traditional family style. Most dishes are very authentic and not Americanize Chinese versions so commonly seen these days. One of the best places to get This type of Chinese food anywhere.

Go there regularly, always greeted by name. Consistently good food at reasonable prices. Peking Duck dinner one of the best values in Chicago. Nice bar. Can be a bit noisy at peak hours.

We went here on a double date and got the recommended roast duck. It was fantastic. The roast duck is brought to the table and carved in view. The carved meat is then served with soft buns and sauces, which was delicious. The rest of the duck is then taken back to the kitchen and used to make fried rice and soup. The four of us ate like kings, with drinks, for $80. Great value. The atmosphere was nothing special, but the food and value were excellent.

Ordered the BBQ and found it all to be very good. Had some other dishes like Seafood Chow Mein and Ma Po tofu which were not so good with very little flavor. The shrimp fried rice was actually pretty good. Shrimp with lobster sauce was tasty, but very runny sauce with too few shrimps.

I really wanted to try the duck as that is what Sun Wah is famous for but I couldn’t have eaten it by myself. I am usually a fried rice kinda guy, but instead i tried the the chicken soup with noodles which was delicious, followed by rice with Roast Pork and BBQ Pork. Service was good and the food came out just as quick. The Roast & BBQ pork itself, was fairly bland, however the flavor was there as the sauce on the rice tasted lovely to be honest, perhaps it just wasn’t marinated enough in the pork, it was also very fatty. I would definitely try it again though and I will go for the fried rice next time.

We have visited several times Sun Wah, especially to eat Duck. Whenever we were there, the quality of duck didn't change. It's oily crisp and flavorful. I recommend this place for family with kids or any company you may have. It's a perfect spot for a winter lunch or dinner.

We were gathering for a birthday, and my son chose this as the location. He told us we were having Beijing Duck. I haven't ever had this before, and didn't have many preconceptions. We needed to order 24 hours in advance and had a party of 10. The menu is extensive, but everyone else around us was having the duck, too. It is is clearly the signature dish. We ordered Hot & Sour soup, and it was very good. After that a couple skilled waitresses came and cut the duck up for us and passed garnishes and sticky buns. It was delicious and followed by duck fried-rice and duck noodles and a soup with a rich duck broth. A very fun evening!

We had one last night in town after almost a week in Chicago and I had been craving some duck for a while so after doing some online research we decided that the best option for our special farewell meal would be Sun Wah Barbecue. I started with a refreshing ginger mojito to get my appetite ready for the main event. We ordered some fried scallops for appetizer which tasted fresh and after a squeeze or two of lemon were perfect. Then a young man with a cart arrived at our table with a crispy roast duck on a platter. He carved it up,placed it on a serving dish and put it in front of us. We were given some pickled cabbage,jullienne veggies,sweet sauce and bao type buns to eat with our boneless duck. This way of eating Chinese style roast duck is called Peking Duck and usually it would be served with thin crepes,(some would know them as mu shu) but here they give you the thicker bao type buns,I liked them but they are more filling. For the uninitiated you use the buns like a you would a Mexican tortilla placing a slice or two of duck with some garnish,add some of the brown sweet sauce then fold up and devour! The duck was perfectly roasted,the skin slightly crispy,and the flesh moist and tasty with a minimum of seasoning,it simply didn't need it. Delicious! And as I savored my meal I thought to myself "how can some people not like duck?" Then came the duck soup and duck fried rice that is the traditional 2nd part of Peking Duck. Well needless to say I killed my craving and had leftovers for the next morning's breakfast before our departure. This was definitely a good choice for our farewell meal but I'll predict it'll also be our welcome meal choice next time we come to the Windy City!

We had wonderful dinner for a large party here. Great food esp the Peking duck which must be preordered. Everything was good though.

Order the Beijing Duck feast. Instead of duck fried rice in this order, I suggest having the duck pan-fried noodle dish. We ordered other items, but the duck was noteworthy.

Large, very busy place. Make sure to make a reservation. Clean, good service. Had the duck feast. The duck meat was very good. It also comes with soup, which had little flavor and was just fair. They also scrape duck from the carcass and add it to rice or noodles. This was also fair. We also got a side of bok choy which was very good.

I didn't sit down for food here but the restaurant looks clean for a Chinese restaurant. Very tasty BBQ duck and roasted pork for takeaway. Best in Chicago I suppose. However, I had better ones in other cities. These are just above average. I think the person preparing the food and packing them looks tired of life and preparing the food in general.

Chinese duck, you don't need to pre-order and you can order different sized portions. It is what you expect. Crispy pork was decent. BBQ pork ribs were flavorful (small). Crispy chow fun noodles with beef was good. Big space, high ceilings, no valet, street parking, very casual. Can have hour+ waits. Like many restaurants post covid, they appeared to be short staffed. Waiter was nice, but not attentive (too many tables to take care of). Typical chinese menu, with add on of the BBQ items. Worth a try. Good not amazing and not the worst. Went for lunch and went soon after they opened, no wait.

A recent visit to Chicago brought us to Sun Wa's and it was all about the duck. Sliced right at your table, they provide you with all the yummy fix'ns to create your own Peking Duck buns. They take away what's left of the sliced up duck and come back with duck fried rice and duck soup. We added a plate of baby Bok Choy and a garlic eggplant dish for our veggie quota. Great meal.

Being that most of the country is in luck down & Social Distancing, My wife suggested wexorder take out from Sun Wah that during this stressful time they decided after being shut down decided thet eould be open for take out on Fri, Sat & Sun. We order BBQ pork over rice, Chinese Broccolli with Oyster Flavor sauce, Chicken Pot stickers, Shrimp & Broccoli, It was very nice to have Sun Wah for dinner on our house tonight

This is a storefront restaurant. Not much to look at - and likely was never meant to be. Tables lined up close to one another so dont expect a quiet low volume conversation meal. About half of the tables on our Sunday night visit were families with children. Service was not distinctive. The servers largely take orders and bring the food and thats about it. Food comes out fast. Sun Wahs reputation is for duck and we ordered the Peking duck as well as the BBQ sampler and drinks. The MSG and ginger mojito cocktails were ok. I expected the ginger mojito to be punchy with assertive ginger flavor but it didnt rise to the occasion. The Peking duck was a real treat. Moist, flavorful duck carved tableside and served on a platter that easily fed three of us. Along with the duck, there was duck friend rice and a duck broth quickly simmered from the duck carcass. The fried rice was good - I enjoyed the broth. It was a mild broth but had a satisfying richness.

The most amazing Asian restaurant! Three crispy skin duck arrived on the cart... our server definitely knew how to use her knife! The tables are equipped with a round smaller spinning table for easy accessibility of the delicious dishes for all. As we were making up our duck pocket sandwiches our server brought out duck fried rice, duck noodle mixture and then duck soup! I would return tomorrow it was that good. 🦆

Was at Sun Wah last night with 9 others. The 10 of us devoured 2 Beijing ducks, which they slice and serve with steamed buns (bao) along with some scallion, hoisin & chili sauce, pickled turnip & carrot. Along with the duck one gets fried rice or noodles, as well as a soup. It was the perfect amount of food for our group, bill came out to $12.50 per person after tip/tax added. Delicious as always.

Here's the takeaway...lunch for 2 for $20. We ordered a bowl of wonton soup w/ BBQ pork and fried noodles with duck meat and pot of green tea. The soup broth was acceptable, tho not as flavorful as one might hope. The wontons were tasty, filled w/ a combo of shrimp and pork, they definitely tasted of shrimp. There was a little bitter Chinese broccoli chopped up in the broth,too. The noodle dish had thin egg noodles that came in a large crisp flat disk with the duck and some sliced veggies plus sauce on top. We liked that dish better than the soup. It was filling and cheap.

Don't go to this restaurant! They will charge you much higher price than listed on the menu. Today I ordered a roast duck on rice plate that is priced at $10 on the menu. However, the cashier gave me a very unhappy surprise when I asked for the bill. The bill listed the plate at $13, a 30% more than the menu price! When I noticed the discrepancy, I asked the cashier to explain that and she simply said that the menu is out-of-date?! This is ridiculous! They may have an out-of-date menu, but definitely they should've told me the new price before I placed the order! The food was okay, although the roast duck was quite salty, but I will never go to the restaurant again and I will tell all my friends about this! I'd have gave them a zero star if there's such an option.

Wow what an excellent meal! The staff is like clockwork and so speedy. The duck is phenomenal and we ordered 2 along with many other items but one would have been enough for the 6 of us. It’s a bit noisy so conversations may be difficult for some people and they seem to rush you out when you are finished eating BUT the food is so good we will be back!

Food is delicious,but the push to order asap ,server scared you , said if you not order kitchen will be closed because employees need to eat, this happened by 1:30 pm , I never get this issues another restaurants. This restaurant is not the same used to be, they push too much to leave the table and finish your meal. I visited this restaurant last 25 years and now the lost the good manners for customers.

Food was good HORRIBLE ..horrible horrible service.... After reading the reviews of the location thought to myself him some good authentic Chinese food. Only to be fooled by the horrible service we received at this restaurant. We arrived on the slow but casual day... We were greeted and sat down only to wait 25 minutes before we would have our order took. The tall slender ugly face gentleman came over to our table took our order and proceeded to tell us what we can and cannot order or substitute from the menu. The food came out rather than a quick only to be incorrect. My friend ordered the Chinese fried chicken rice they brought beef vegetables out. After my friend explained that was not his order the waiter brings the food back and says this is what you ordered ... He then storms off and says oh my God.... Then brings out the correct food and slams its on the table. He didn't offer us anything else to drink. My friend had to go to the counter to get sodas! And besides the service of the ugly face tall slender Gentleman. the food was good a lot of quality for the price.. BUT WOULDN'TGO IF UR TRYING TO TAKE UR FRIENDS ... GET THE FOOD TO GO!!!

Really good food, but went for the duck which was excellent, carved at the table and then used in various dishes. Fish balls and pot stickers also delicious. Nice experience, good service.

I was told by Malaysian friends that this restaurant had the best peking duck in Chicago. Good reason to give it a try. We tried to book a table, but it was full. We went to the restaurant and the expected waiting time was 90 minutes. However, you can have a take away peking duck, so we ordered it with rice, stir fried veggies and tofu and we ate at home. I was disappointed of such a long queue but I considered it as positive. It means that this place is very appreciated by locals, actually the majority was Chinese, so even better. I can guarantee that the peking duck was good. It was my second in my life and the first was better, but it was in China. I recommend this restaurant, but try to book a table at least one day ahead.

I shared Chicken Pot stickers, BBQ Pork or rice, Chinese Broccoli with Oyster flavor sauce. Others tried the Sweet & Sour Chicken, Duck friend rice, Vegetable Rice a bottle of red wine for the partakers to partake. Good seeing friends at one of our favorite dinner places.

This is a place we go for our fix on duck. Really good here. Although I don't believe it's as good as the last time we were there, not sure what it was, just not as good. Warm plum sauce instead of cold would've helped. Had roast pork as well and that was pretty good. Fired rice, well guess I'm not a huge fan for Chinese fried rice as I am authentic Thai which is not fired, (supposed to be) in as much oil. Too much oil used. Wife had a shrimp stir fry and that was pretty oily as well. But it was good and I needed my duck.

Good food. Dirty furnishings. Needs upgrade. Been here many times in the past. Food quality is the same but i always order to take out since the restaurant side always look dirty to me.

Carry out service prompt and friendly...excellent best in town roasted duck!! Must come back for in dining experience

Favorite place for Chinese BBQ and greens. Maybe favorite Chinese Restaurant in Chicago. The Pei Par Duck (BBQ Duck) is ridiculous!

My wife and I have eaten at Sun Wah at least 8 times.....everytime, we order the Peking Duck and nothing else....as one of the Ducks, the Duck soup, and fried rice or noodles they include, is more than a meal for two. We eat here every time we go to Chicago. The place is huge, not fancy, but reservations are needed on the weekend.

I really don't get it. Lot's of locals recommended this place for Chinese food and I have to guess that it has more to do with family tradition than the food. The place is noisy and busy which seemed to bode well. The menu is kind of retro Cantonese. We ordered the duck which was overly fatty and greasy. For me, it triggered memories of a meal I had on a train from Guangzhou in the late 80's - just not as adventurous. I have to say I was entertained by the employee at the door with a powered megaphone she needed to manage the inflow of guests.

I've had much better duck than those at Sun Wah. I just think Chicago is deprived of good Peking duck, so Sun Wah is automatically looked upon as the gold standard. The duck. The price point is pretty standard, but Sun Wah one-ups other places by including complimentary soup, noodles, and fried rice with the order, none of which are outstanding. The duck is much more oilier and fattier than what I've tasted in the past, so much that the skin isn't crispy like it should be. The sauce isn't as thick. The veggies are missing cucumber. And each duck comes with 6 buns... really?? Service... Horrible. It's hard to get a hold of anyone to help you out and no one refills your tea container.

We really liked the Peking duck served in this massive chamber Chinese restaurant. The flavor was rich and the skin crispy. You can also purchase duck, barbecue pork and other items for take out. The remaining duck that was not sliced off was made into fried rice and crispy noodles. These renditions were so-so. The green vegetables were good but nothing to write home about. There were many other dishes available that we did not try. The person serving us was very matter of fact and not what I would call pleasant.

If crowds are an indication of the foods appeal, This Is the Place! Servers are inpatient sometimes brusk, so be prepared to order when they reappear after getting your glass of water(do not expect to have it refilled). Try to refrain from asking questions that can be answered if you memorize the 12 page menu. Btw, you CANNOT get 1/2 of the Peking duck, it's the WHOLE duck or an order of their Roasted Duck, unless you want the rote show of them slicing it tableside, go for the Roasted duck. You can order eggrolls, veggies, BBQ Pork, fried rice et al, with the money you will save The food is delish and plentiful, if only it would not come out piecemeal. Go for the food not the ambience or servce.

We go here every month or two...best duck in the US, as far as I've experienced...and quite good compared to Hong Kong and China (where we've been a few times in the last two years, so that's a current comparison). I wish I could say we've sampled everything on the menu, but the BBQ duck is so good that's what we always get...along with a steamed green veggie and eggplant. Peking duck looks great. Tried BBQ and it was ok, but I'll stick to the duck. Closed Thursdays. Usually only have one beer on draft, but lots of bottles and a full bar. (They claim to have two, but out of the last ten visits I can recall that happening only once.) Very noisy.

After searching for a Peking duck restaurant, we found this place in the northside in an Asian area. We ordered the duck ahead and it came as a whole duck that the waiter carved at the table. Possibly a 6 pound one and that came with enough rice and soup to easily feed six people, so beware and bring a gang with you or just order a smaller duck serving instead of the whole one. A real genuine experience and worth the ride.

I saw that this place received a James Beard award for being an American Classic restaurant and so we decided to check it out. I'm really happy that we did. They are best known for their Beijing Duck Dinner (it serves 4 people) and that's what we have. It's a whole duck, carved table side and served with buns, carrots, pickled radish, plum sauce, and some green onion. They then take the carcass back to the kitchen and make a soup out of the bones and fried rice out of the remaining meat. I'm not an expert on duck, but the main duck is really good. Super crisp skin and tender, juicy and flavorful meat. Buns are fluffy and also really tasty. Soup and fried rice were fine, but were definitely second fiddle to the duck. This is a meal best suited for 4 people. Service is fine. Efficient. Not unfriendly, but not really going out of their way. Restaurant is really brightly lit. I guess they don't want you to miss the food. I will definitely make a return trip.

Best duck in town. Uses the whole duck to serve a full meal. Good value for money and great atmosphere.

We had the duck dinner. Delicious Peking duck carved expertly at the table. The duck both skin and meat were made to perfection. It came with a delicious duck soup, buns, duck fried rice and the usual trimmings. Other dishes we ordered were quite ok. The restaurant is very simple so the ambiance is low rent. The service is brisk but friendly in spite of language barriers. The prices are very reasonable. We will definitely come back to eat on prem or for pickup when hungry for a great Peking duck.

Continues to please--at least the food! Roast duck still the best I've had in the US (including NY Chinatown)...although this time it was a little cold. Eggplant with garlic sauce also up there. Chicken potstickers and baby bok choy good enough. Didn't care so much for the broad rich noodles with shrimp. Service fast, as usual, but don't expect personable. They get the job done. Wish they had more than one beer on tap. They list two, but I've never ever in about five times there seen them have more than one available.

We went there to celebrate my brother's birthday, review was good. When we arrive my mother was complained the waitress was rude and unfriendly to her. We did not order roasted duck, we ordered five dishes and four of them use dark sauce and have too much sauce in each dish. Real Chinese cook will not make this kind of mistake.

I have traveled to many different countries and have tried many different dishes and I can tell you, without a shadow of a doubt, that the duck here is something special.

Wow - been way too many years since I ate their food so I gorged & ordered some to go: Duck - wow, the Best! So tender, juicy, tasty, perfect skin & meat... Beef Tongue - delish, tender & not over seasoned, wonderful Squid - good, delicate, nicely cooked, & so fresh Ribs - the least favorite as it was too salty & a bit dry Really wanted to get the Duck parts (wings, tongue, feet) but all sold out by 6pm so I must go early next time to get these gems. Must Try & you'll be hooked.

I ate here tonight with my family and quite frankly I am very disappointed. It is our first time eating here and I was hoping to write a very decent review for the local paper and for my food blog. We ordered a small roast pig, small Peking duck, a wonton soup, and a beef chow fun. The plate of roast pig was pretty much entirely sections of pig fat and barely any meat whatsoever. The Peking duck was incredibly salty, lacking the traditional spices, and greasy. Both plates were inedible. The wonton soup had no flavour whatsoever, just bland. The only decent item, albeit greasy, was the beef chow fun. Now I am no stranger to Cantonese cuisine having dined at countless places through the country and having had first hand experience cooking these items. I just don't understand how such a place that is so hyped and well reviewed, including by the Food Network, could go so wrong? When I inquired with our server, a gentleman by the name of "Chuck" decides to tell us that it is our fault we got served the plate of pig fat and would not offer the option to exchange or refund it considering we barely ate it (would you eat pure pig fat?) and was just rude to us overall. Another girl, which I assume to be the manager, declines to discuss the issues I have and decides a refund of $5 is sufficient for their mistakes. Keep in mind the plate of roast pig was $7 and the Peking duck was $8. We declined as it's not about the money, but the fact that they would not own up to the fact that they fed us something extremely subpar. Needless to say, once we got home we all got sick and threw up what was our dinner. They can expect my review on my food website and in the local paper. I will not be recommending it to anyone. Perhaps there was a time that they excelled in their food and it was this food that was reviewed so highly. I did not get that with my visit. Do I want to give them the benefit of the doubt? Of course, I've worked my fair share in restaurants. But with such poor mannerisms of the staff, I think I'll be at Hon Kee Restaurant my next visit to Chicago.

Visited Chicago and went to Sun Wah with local friends. Wow, it was a great experience and wonderful food. We ordered a variety of appetizer for the table and shared among 6 of us. BBQ pork, calamari, veggies, etc. The main course, BBQ duck, was spectacular. The duck is brought to the table whole and then expertly carved and presented on platters, ready to eat. It was SO GOOD. There were soft, tasty little sticky buns to make small sandwiches with and they were impossible to stop eating. All the food was wonderful and we had impeccable service. We did visit at an early lunch hour on a weekend so we avoided any crowd. This place gets really, really busy. I must say it was quite reasonable pricing as well. Check it out!

Was Not really craving for Chinese food, but my friend Matt Lay told me you got to try there whole duck. He said it was AWESOME!!!! I didn’t believe him at first. Was going to eat with my wife at Tang Lang Vietnamese Pho. So I said ok I’ll try Sun Wah Barbecue. So we did order the whole duck. They came out to cut it. It looked tender and I took the slices and put in between white bun bread add the duck sauce and pickled radish and other vegetables, put it in my mouth WOW!!!! that’s all I can say, so flavorful and tender delicious 😋 the buns of bread really enhances the flavor and texture. Order a chinese beer. They took the rest of the meat and made duck friend rice. That was awesome too. I loved it so much I ordered ToGo for me and my friend Matt a whole. The only issue it did take a long time for our duck fried rice. When I go back to Chicago, I’ll make sure this is my main place to go.

Years ago I wanted to go to the then hole-in-the wall with the ducks hanging in the windows restaurant. My American partner, of course, could not get past the ducks hanging on the window. So I went back with a new friend not squeamish about ducks (none are hanging any more) and the place was trendy, large, a typical urban industrial space. A youngish hip crowd. The duck made its spectacular entrance. Our Hispanic carver did a great job slicing the duck.---it was perfectly delicious. The bao were a good alternative to the traditional pancakes. Yes, the soup was not memorable and perhaps I make fried rice differently. Our servers were busy, but attentive. I did not understand other reviewers' picayune criticisms. It was great dinner at a very reasonable price. The duck is a must-return.